The invention relates to a holding device for holding a container, in particular a can or a bottle, and to a method for securing a container, in particular a can or a bottle, during processing.
A holding device of the type mentioned is known from FR-A-2 482 575. It is used to hold a container embodied as a bottle, in such a way that a cap can be fitted on said container. With this device, bottles which are conveyed on a belt are clamped between two jaws and thus secured so that the caps can be fitted on. The jaws have indents at intervals corresponding to the distance between the bottles on the belt. The precision with which the bottles can be secured by this device depends therefore on how uniform the distance is between them when they are conveyed on the belt.
The object of the invention is to disclose a device for holding a container and a method for securing a container which ensure that the container is secured in a reproducible and functionally reliable manner.
In order to achieve this object, a device having the features of claim 1 is proposed.
In order to achieve this object, a device according to the invention includes a gripping apparatus which can be used to secure the container in a frictionally locking manner. Owing to this design, the holding device can be used universally, that is to say the holding device can be used to clamp or fix a wide variety of containers, for example cans or bottles, and the bottles here can be manufactured from glass, plastic or metal, for example steel or aluminum. The holding device is defined by a high level of functional reliability.
In the context of the invention in question here, the term xe2x80x9choldingxe2x80x9d is to be understood in the sense of xe2x80x9chold in positionxe2x80x9d. A container of virtually any desired design can therefore be positioned and/or laid on the holding device. Of course, it is also possible for the holding device to be embodied in such a way that the container can be introduced partially or essentially completely into the holding device. In one preferred embodiment, there is provision for the container to be able to be introduced at least partially, preferably by its end region which has the base, into the holding device, or to be arranged therein. It is common to all the embodiment variants that the container can be securely held by means of the gripping apparatus in a frictionally locking manner irrespective of its position with regard to the holding device or its shape or the material from which it is composed.
An exemplary embodiment of the holding device is preferred which is defined by the fact that the gripping apparatus comprises a plurality of gripping elements, preferably at least three. The arrangement of the preferably finger-shaped or hook-shaped gripping elements and their design is selected in a preferred embodiment in such a way that the container which is to be fixed or held in position can be introduced into the intermediate space between the gripping elements which are arranged distributed over the circumference of an imaginary circle. When the displaceable gripping elements are activated, they bear against the outer circumference of the container, enabling the container to be centered. The number of gripping elements is in the region of 2 to 20, preferably 2 to 8, and the number of gripping elements used is preferably such that the container can be centered. Of course, it is also possible for the gripping apparatus to have just a single gripping element which interacts with at least one opposing element in such a way that the container can be secured between the opposing element and the gripping element. In this exemplary embodiment, it is possible, for example with an appropriate design of these parts, to center the container by, in particular, displacing the opposing element and/or the gripping element.
Furthermore, an exemplary embodiment of the holding device is preferred in which the gripping apparatus is associated with a holding plate for the container, on which holding plate the container can preferably be centered using the gripping apparatus. Moreover, a displacement apparatus and/or a drive apparatus for the holding plate is provided which can be used to displace the holding plate, with the container which can be arranged on it, in the direction of the longitudinal center axis of said holding plate, or to rotate said holding plate about its longitudinal center axis. The drive device can be used to orient the container with respect to, for example, a treatment device for cleaning, filling, emptying, printing on, opening and/or closing the container, and the rotational orientation can be carried out before, after or during the operation in which the container is secured by the gripping apparatus.
According to one development of the invention there is provision for the displacement apparatus to comprise a slide which preferably has a slide head which interacts with the holding plate, it being possible to connect the slide or the slide head to the holding plate in a detachable fashion. According to one embodiment variant, the gripping elements of the gripping apparatus can be coupled by the slide, in particular the slide head, in such a way that the gripping elements are displaced, preferably pivoted, out of a position of rest into a clamping position. The slide therefore has a double function because it is used, on the one hand, to displace the holding plate and, on the other hand, to activate the gripping elements. Owing to this design, a holding device with a simple structure can be implemented.
Finally, an exemplary embodiment of the holding device is preferred in which the holding plate and the slide are separated from one another before the gripping elements are displaced into their clamping position by displacing the slide. The displacement movement of the holding plate and that of the gripping elements therefore take place separately from one another, the holding plate with the container located on it being displaced first before the container is clamped tight on the holding plate.
Further advantageous embodiments of the holding device emerge from the other subclaims.
In order to achieve the object, a method according to the invention includes the steps of first placing a container on a displaceable holding plate, then displacing the holding plate, together with the container, out of a standby position (home position) into a fixing position (clamping position) in which the container is secured in a frictionally locking manner by means of a gripping apparatus with at least one gripping element, preferably a plurality of gripping elements. The clamping tight of the container in order to secure it is carried out using the gripping elements only after the holding plate has reached its fixing position. The displacement movement of the holding plate and that of the gripping elements therefore take place separately from one another, as a result of which the container can be clamped or fixed in a defined, reproducible fashion.
In one particularly preferred exemplary embodiment, just a single open-loop or closed-loop control element is used to displace the holding plate and to activate the gripping element. Owing to the clamping tight of the container on the holding plate, a wide variety of containers, for example aluminum cans, steel cans, glass bottles or other containers which are also composed of plastic can be securely held.